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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

The Slice Trading In The Baby For A New Model

Jake Shumaker is 3-1/2 and his little brother Quinn is almost 2.

Recently Jake’s mom informed him that the family was going to have another baby.

The news didn’t sit well. Jake’s brow furrowed and his voice was choked with tears. “But I like Quinny,” he pleaded.

His mom quickly assured him that, even after the new baby’s arrival, they would get to keep young Quinn.

We would like to see Spokane resolve to: Fully embrace the reality that enjoying our vaunted “quality of life” is an uphill challenge for the tens of thousands of residents barely scraping by.

To ban or not to ban that new CD player: Allowing workers to listen to personal stereo headsets can improve productivity, according to a small-scale study reported in the Chicago Tribune.

Of course, if the employees in question have jobs that involve actually interacting with co-workers, this practice can also lead to people yelling and throwing things.

Slice answers: The Magic Lantern Theatre and Interplayers were mentioned over and over after we asked what destination was most irritatingly inaccessible to those in wheelchairs.

We also heard about more than a few Spokane area restaurants and retail outlets that, while technically accessible, do little to make patrons in wheelchairs feel welcome. And we got an earful about stores that crowd aisles with display tables and what-not, making the passageway impassable.

Mead’s Russell J. Stippel nominated “The restroom: You pick the location!” Even many public restrooms supposedly designed to allow wheelchair access are, in fact, far too cramped and turn the experience of using them into a circus act, he reported.

And Biff Williams wrote that the answer is “The minds of some TABs (temporarily able-bodied) who refuse to accept that they, too, someday, will be unable to access those irritatingly inaccessible destinations.”

Today’s Slice question: What Spokane area street corner has the most personality?

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

MEMO: The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098.

The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098.